There are worse teams and United have enough quality to get out of this.

What remains to be seen is how quickly they notch up the points needed to fend off the prospect of the drop.

It all depends on whether your glass is half-full or half-empty because a top-10 finish is also still very much on – if the Magpies want it badly enough.

Unlike the early part of the campaign when United lacked depth and the bite needed to survive in the Premier League, Newcastle look capable and competitive on the big stage.

Once they dust themselves down after this defeat they shouldn’t be too disheartened because the good signs are there and the reality is that Pardew’s French-inspired outfit can only get better as they go along.

Both sides prodded and probed each other in the opening exchanges and it was Newcastle who survived an early barrage of attacks from Swansea but Steven Taylor looked like a man in the mood as he spat out everything the home side had to offer in the first half.

Then United moved up the gears in the second half and began using the two most powerful tools in the box – Yoan Gouffran and Moussa Sissoko.

When on the ball, the duo have the ability to slice their way through defences and against Swansea they were clearly Newcastle’s most effective outlets – especially in the second half.

If only the Magpies had been able to make the most of the chances they helped create.

Having emerged unscathed after good chances for Michu, Garry Monk and Ashley Williams, United went in at the break having failed to trouble Dutch goalkeeper Michel Vorm.

The plus point was that they had managed to absorb everything one of the better footballing sides in the top flight had thrown at them in the opening 45 minutes.

And once Rob Elliot had pulled off an excellent double save from Angel Rangel and Toon old boy Wayne Routledge, the door was open to upset the Capital One Cup winners.

Indeed, once United started to utilise Sissoko and Gouffran it looked like Swansea couldn’t live with Pardew’s side.

Yet while that movement and flowing attacking play was there for all to see, a lack of conviction was missing. Gouffran’s bursting run down the left should have caused more panic in the Swans’ defence but a neat centre evaded everybody – including hot and cold poacher Papiss Cisse on 50 minutes.

Just before the hour mark, Newcastle threatened down the other flank as Sissoko’s driving run down the right this time found Gouffran in the middle – only for him to scoop the effort over the top.

Perhaps the clearest opening came when Davide Santon slipped in Yohan Cabaye and the skipper sent a piercing shot against the crossbar with just a quarter of the game to go.

Had that dinked under the woodwork it would have put Newcastle firmly in the driving seat.

Even then there were more chances to see off Laudrup’s troops. Sissoko made a typical driving run down the right channel unchallenged and dipped an effort at Vorm which the Dutch international had to palm away to safety.

Mathieu Debuchy lashed in a couple of wild efforts too before the end and Sissoko pulled the trigger again to unsettle Swansea.

At that stage it looked like just a matter of time before the Swans’ resolve collapsed.

Tellingly Laudrup moved from his seat for the first time in the final 10 minutes and, seeing his team in real trouble, he threw on out-of-favour striker Luke Moore for the closing stages.

The change gave Newcastle something to think about and even though Steven Taylor – outstanding for the large part – and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa had looked unflustered it proved to be the key moment for the Dane’s side.

Inevitably Routledge, who flattered to deceive when handed top-flight responsibility on Tyneside and was released by Pardew, provided the source that proved to be the deciding factor of the contest in Wales.

After whipping the ball in from the left and beating Debuchy, what should have been a routine clearance for either Santon or Yanga-Mbiwa dropped for super sub Moore who jinked round Taylor and slotted past Elliot with five minutes to go.

Given that the game had been so tight, Pardew had resisted the chance to change things but he went for broke in the dying embers of the game and threw Shola Ameobi and Sylvain Marveaux on to try to salvage something.

By then, though, Swansea weren’t in the mood to give up what was a bonus lead.

It was hard on the Magpies after causing the Jacks genuine problems.

However, if any reminders were needed that the Premier League is an unforgiving stage this was it.

The look on Sissoko’s face at the end told it all.

Thankfully he looked like a man who wanted to take out his anger on United’s next opponents and if this keeps Pardew’s players on their toes for the trip to Moscow to face Anzhi Makhachala then at least some good will come out of it.

Ryder’s verdict: This was a bitter pill to swallow for the Magpies – but they know where they went wrong.

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